Domestic vs. Exotic Wood House Flooring?

Whether you’re building your dream house or tackling a home renovation project, choosing a floor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Flooring is an investment that will last for years or decades, and in the case of hardwood, a lifetime. The right flooring will also add value to the home and make it a more marketable property. With these factors in mind, you want to choose the best house flooring with consideration to the species of the wood. Too often, people are quick to choose the floors they like best based on physical properties only, without knowing what type of wood they are. It used to be that most of the hardwood floors available were made from domestic species such as oak and pine. However, with the technological advancements in the harvesting and manufacturing of wood, as well as freight and communication, it’s now possible to buy house flooring in any wood species imaginable. Yet which is better: Domestic or exotic? While the choice is entirely yours, there are a few things to keep in mind before settling on your new hardwood floors. Domestic hardwood flooring species are ones that are grown in North America. These species include pine, ash, oak and beech. Exotic hardwood flooring species are those that are found in South America, Asia, Australia and Africa. Examples of exotic species include tigerwood, Brazilian teak, Brazilian Walnut and purpleheart. There are many differences across wood species, as you probably have already seen with domestic species such as maple and oak. Maple is smooth and offers subtle grain patterns, while oak features rich grain patterns and takes in stain rather well. The same exists across domestic and exotic selections, as the grain patterns, imperfections and ability to take in stain all differ. Exotic selections have been growing in popularity because of these unique differences. When the planks are installed, these exotic floors stand out and visually tease guests, as they wonder which type of floor they’re looking at. Yet even with their unusual characteristics, are exotic selections the best choice? Some say no. Even though we’re more used to seeing domestic selections, these flooring species come from our region and generally harvested from well-managed, renewable forests. It’s also better to buy locally, as this supports the U.S. economy and keeps jobs in the industry. An added bonus is that domestic house flooring is generally less expensive since the products do come from this region. That’s not to say that exotic flooring can’t also follow similar guidelines. If choosing environmentally friendly flooring is important to you, find out about the wood species of the house flooring and where the wood is sourced from. Some countries such as Australia may have better guidelines as well, so don’t be afraid to question. While you may pay a bit more for exotic selections, you can enjoy unique flooring that offers its own advantages as far as hardness levels, stability and color. No matter which type of hardwood you choose, request samples, test them in your home and make a decision based on what fits your home, lifestyle and budget.